Forever Broken
by xWrittenInBlood
Summary: Because we all like to escape from time to time, she was his escape. We have to make mistakes in order to find out where we belong. But it was never meant to get this bad.. He swears he would take back those words if he could. SasuSaku. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, this is my first fanfiction. So, uh .. read, review and make me feel loved.**

**Oh and beware, this story will contain dark themes, orphans like Sakura-chan, cutting, drugs and other things like that.**

**Summary: AU. The world never really was the heart-warming trusting and loving place that the fairy-tales created. Nobody knows that better than Sakura Haruno. She leads a fucked up life, learning to deal with the cards she's been dealt. With no real goals in life, she's only in it for the ride. She'd never noticed the quiet Sasuke Uchiha in the opposite side of the classroom before, but he has _always_ noticed her.**

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_Dead inside, my heart and soul flatline. Dead Inside - Skillet._

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_Prologue._

The world never really was the heart-warming, trusting and loving place that the fairy-tales created.

Fiction.

That's all it really was, wasn't it ?

She walked in the darkness, a path she took on her own free will.

Where was that sweet, happy go lucky little pink haired girl?

Dead.

Dead and gone, replaced by a mask of fake emotions.

This was how she lived. The tale of the small pink-haired girl who lost it all.

The life of Sakura Haruno.

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Chapter One.

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The rain pelted down harshly, abusing the barely stable roof covering her small, pathetic excuse of an apartment.

All in all, she guessed it was okay. It covered her, sure it didn't retain warmth well, there was no insulation in the walls nor the roof. But it was better than the streets. Anything was better than sleeping on the cold concrete in the rain.

Stirring from her light sleep, she pulled her blankets higher above her head and curled into herself.

"Fuck," She hissed aloud remembering she still had school.

I know what you're thinking, why would she even bother with school, right? She couldn't even afford a nice apartment, an insulated one at that. But, the school was warm, the school sheltered her from the rain.

Mother Nature is one sick mother fucker, huh?

Slowly, the small girl slid out of her bed stretching in a cat-like way before rising to her full height. Which wasn't saying much. She only reached 5 feet. And even then, only just.

_I wonder if there's any hot water.._ She grumbled in her mind, rubbing sleep out of her eyes with her tiny fists.

Walking down the wide hallway she turned into the bathroom, fumbling her hand over the wall in search of a light switch. Finally victorious, she moved toward the shower, and tested the waters temperature.

"Fuck my life." She sighed as the water stayed at it's icy level.

Just another day in this fucked up world where she suffered.

She stripped, forcing herself under the hail of water, goosebumps overcoming her pale skin. Reaching a shaky hand toward her strawberry scented shampoo, she idly noted she needed to steal some more.

It's not like she could afford it, any money she actually got, went to keeping this shit hole she lived in.

After the shower, she sorted through her large selection of clothes. Her height and size was one good thing really, she was currently 17 years old, she hadn't grown since she was 14. She never really needed to buy more clothes, or throw any out.

Sure, her breasts were a reasonable size, but she had no ass, her waist was the size of a 7 year old's, she was _tiny_.

Finally deciding on a pair of black skinny jeans with rips in the thighs, a tight grey tank top and a red and black plaid hoodie over top only zipped up a little. She pulled on dark purple socks and threw her black converse over top.

Retreating to the bathroom, she stood in front of the small mirror armed with a black eyeliner, mascara, silver eyeshadow and foundation.

Twenty minutes later and she was exiting the bathroom looking like a miniature model, her make-up perfectly applied over her clear skin (She guessed the cold showers were at least good for something), her pink hair, which just touched the bottom of her shoulder blades, was straight and lightly tousled.

Her appearence clearly giving the vibe If-you-look-at-me-I-will-fucking-bite-your-goddamn-throat-out.

Lightly fingering the silver necklace around her neck, she touched the heart at the end of it before exiting her home.

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She had no way of transport to the school other than her own two feet. Surprise, huh?

As she walked up the steps of the school, the whispers started.

"I wonder who she fucked last night. Dirty little slut."

"Well, she does have to keep a roof over her head, I suppose."

"Why? She probably just fucks random guys on the street for money. She should be rich by now."

Once upon a time, Sakura might have shed a few tears, kept her head down and walked on.. or maybe run away. Anything to get away from those voices.

But she had come to accept that these were the cards she was dealt. And she wasn't going to let any mother fucker think they were any better than her.

Keeping her head high, she glared death at the girls whispering about her. They visibly paled, their mouths snapping shut.

"Keep your fucking mouths closed." She hissed dangerously, walking past them ignoring the way their heads nearly flew off of their shoulders from the break-neck speed of them nodding.

_Why do I even bother with this fucking place?_ She thought icily. As if answering her inner thoughts, lightening cracked in the sky as rain fell loudly against the roof. _Right, that's why._

Turning the corner, she caught sight of her only two friends in this entire fucking world.

The first one, nobody particularly cared about. He was an outcast, never really noticed. Stoned 9 times out of 10 that anyone saw him. His thick dark brown hair pulled up into a spiky ponytail with a thick black band. Dark brown eyes bloodshot, proving the last sentence correct. His lazy expression settled on his face and his hands thrusted in his black jean pockets. The dark sleeves of his hoodie partially stuffed in with his hands too. A small smile on his face as he caught sight of her.

"Hey Sakura." He nodded in her direction, one arm sliding out of his pocket around her shoulders in a one-armed hug before retreating again.

"Shikamaru." She returned the gesture, nodding up to his tall 6 foot height.

Her other best friend? Someone that nobody would have guessed.

His long coffee colored locks falling half-way down his back, contrasting against his pale skin. He was once a prodigy, looked up to by so many, of a wealthy family. His light lavender pupil-less eyes giving away he belonged to the Hyuuga clan. He was quickly disowned by the Hyuuga's though, as soon as they learned of him hanging around the 'filth'. The lower class people, supposedly not worth his time. It was okay though, in some retrospect. He disowned them right back.

His once preppy, expensive clothes slowly began to be replaced by the likes of what he was wearing now. A black t-shirt visible at the front only as a heavy dark grey hooded jacket also covered his torse, black loose jeans held up by a bullet belt, and feet stuffed into an old pair of chucks.

He copied the first males actions, embracing the much smaller girl against him, a brief emotion like contentment crossing his face before quickly regaining his cold expression.

"Sakura."

"Neji."

She smiled a small smile toward the two.

"So, Shika, you sharing that smoke in your pocket?" She asked in a teasing voice.

Shikamaru promptly stopped fiddling with the now known substance in his pocket. A smirk crossing his features before her replied, "You know me so well."

A year ago, Neji would have never even considered 'tainting his body with such impure toxins that shorten your life-span' , but that was a year ago. When he had not known Sakura, nor Shikamaru. When he was still stuck in his pig-headed I-am-a-Hyuuga-I-am-above-thee period.

Now, he followed quietly as the went to the empty classroom. Normally they would go to the roof, but the roof held no shelter from the environments harsh conditions the day was 'blessed' with.

What a fucking load of shit.

Two freshman were making out against the wall when Sakura threw the door open.

"Ahh! What are you doing?" The girl screamed, before looking into amused green eyes. "U-uhh, Sakura-san, I'm, I'm s-s-sorry."

"Just get the fuck out." Neji interrupted the stuttering girl, who promptly left. The boy looked at Sakura, took a step forward, before Shikamaru flicked open his lighter in a threatening way. The boy quickly exited the room.

"We're going to be late for class." Neji informed his two best friends.

Sakura merely shrugged while Shikamaru mumbled something like 'Troublesome.'

Sakura held her hand out for the cigarette before reaching over for the lighter, placing the cigarette between her lips and lighting it.

She breathed in a sigh of relief, passing it over to Shikamaru, who copied her actions before passing it on to Neji.

Once the cigerette was gone, Sakura stubbed it out on the desk she was sitting on before exiting the room.

"Class?" The Hyuuga male asked.

"Do I have to?" Sakura whined. No answers were spared, Neji had already picked her up and sling her over his shoulder. With a sigh, she looked into Shikamaru's eyes, a grin dancing across his lips.

"You just fucking love this, don't you?" She hissed, raising her middle finger at him.

With a simple nod, "Yes."

Neji shifted Sakura into his arms after her constant complaining of his shoulder abusing her stomach.

"Maybe if you actually put on a little weight.." He trailed off. The only girl of the trio merely shrugged.

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"Sakura, take notes." Kurenai-sensei said in a tense voice.

"I'd rather not." Was her only response. It was met with a sigh.

"Haruno, you come into my class thrity-two minutes late from god-knows-where with no excuse, and then refuse to take notes?"

"Yup."

"Ugh.." Kurenai sighed. She had better change the subject. "Anyway class, tomorrow we shall have a new student. Treat him with respect."

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day.

"Haruno, a word." Kurenai demanded before the pink-haired girl exited the class.

Said girl in question looked thoughtful for a moment. "Bye."

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**So, this is my first Naruto story, I would really appreciate any reviews. **

**I also need a Beta, please, please, please?**

**This story is my baby, I really want to see it get the reviews it truly deserves, I want to make this _epic_, I just want it to be successful.**

**Any ideas, comments, even flames are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ohayo gozimasu. Did I spell that right?**

**Idk. But, I am hoping you'll enjoy this chapter.**

**Please remember to buckle your seat belts correctly, I can not be held accountable for any injuries if you fall out of the roller coaster.**

**Oh, I do not own Naruto.**

**Be prepared for heartbreak.**

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_It's just another war, another family torn. Falling from my faith today. - Hero, Skillet._

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**Chapter Two.**

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The perfect life.

It's what everybody assumed he had.

He was just the quiet little emo boy who sat in the back corner of the classroom.

A piece of the backround - but never in the foreground. Never one of the main players of the game.

Sasuke Uchiha, the shadow of Konoha High School.

The unique dark navy colored hair, and piercing onyx eyes. He truly was a shadow among the darkness. Never seen, never heard.

"-and you're the one who wanted a second child, a son! And look what we fucking got!" Sasuke visibly flinched, as if recoiling from a physical blow as his mother screamed at his father.

He never got the chance to experience the love of a true family. He lived in his older brothers shadow. 'Itachi had good grades when he was your age.' 'Itachi is perfect.'. Itachi this, Itachi that.

They just didn't seem to understand their youngest child. He tried, tried so hard to achieve the 'good grades' his brother had. He tried _so fucking_ hard to achieve that unattainable perfection his brother had reached so gracefully. So easily.

"You don't think I don't know that? You think I can actually look that filthy excuse of a human being without cringing at what we created, you think -" He couldn't listen to it any longer. He had long since learned how to just tune out of this world and into his own realm.

Kicking the blankets off of himself, he silently placed his feet on the wooden floor, walking to his dresser he pulled out a black hoodie before opening the window, and slipping out.

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"I just don't get it sometimes, you know?" A certain high pink haired girl asked her two companions.

"Get what?" The ever lazy genius of the group asked casually, leaning back on his arms as he waited his turn.

Expertly, she blew out a long stream of smoke from her mouth into the Hyuuga's face before pacing him the substance of her happiness. "Everything."

"Aa. Can't argue with that logic." The pearl eyed boy stated sarcastically, wrapping his long pale fingers around the zig-zag wrapped weed. Slowly he raised it to his lips, inhaled, slowly pulled it away before passing it on and exhaling. "At least he didn't put the filter in it this time.."

"Hey now. That was a one time thing." Shikamaru came to his own defense. In his laid back casual laziness, he had been rolling a smoke at the same time as disguising his joint. "My brain just wasn't functioning at it's prime."

A delicate snort came from the small girl. "When is it ever?"

A sigh. "What is it? Pick on Shikamaru Nara day?" He pushed the joint in the direction of Sakura before falling flat on his back. "Guys, I gotta get going. It's past my bed time."

It was a lie, they all knew it meant I-want-to-go-to-sleep-now-because-I-am-Shikamaru-the-lazy-man.

With a nod, he left the circle, or rather triangle, and retreated to his own partially sheltered home.

A few moments of silence turned to minutes of silence.

"Neji..?"

"Hn?"

"You're sleeves are painting themselves." His eyes softened for a second in realization. His mind ran to try come up with an excuse he could feed his female companion.

Now, how many of you would have ever pegged _THE_ Neji Hyuuga as the cutting type?

No one? I thought not.

After years of trying to reach a certain standard, at some point.. No matter how strong that person looks.. No matter how sane.. They eventually just.. snap.

And that was what happened to him. He eventually snapped. Sakura had kept his cutting at bay, always being his source of comfort.

..And that was what she was right now.

She shuffled closer to Neji as he broke down. The tears filled his crystal eyes before spilling over and falling down his face. He crumpled, he broke.

He was destroyed.

She wrapped her arms around the boy she looked up to, watching as he broke down in front of her very eyes. His arms came around her tightly, holding her as if she were his only lifeline. The only thing stopping him from falling over that edge of insanity.

But it was true, what was Neji without her?

She said nothing as she held the older boy in her arms.

No words were needed. Only comfort.

Both completely unaware of the hurt pair of onyx eyes following their every movement.

Neji wasn't the only one crying that night.

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Sasuke kicked a rock viciously as he walked down the middle of the road.

Maybe he would get hit by a car and die.

.. But then, he never was the lucky type.

Idly, he wondered why nobody was ever there for him, to hold him as he broke. Why couldn't he be in Neji's position? What did te Hyuuga have that he didn't?

Why wasn't he loved?

Blood dripped down his hands, and he finally noted the small sting in his hands, withdrawing his nails from his palms.

Why couldn't she notice him?

_Why can't she see me?_

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"I haven't had my fucking cigarette this morning. I will bite your fucking throat out, I swear." She may be a pint-sized little girl, but she had a temper to rival that of the devil himself.

"Calm down, little firecracker." Neji whispered, pushing her down in her seat between himself and Shikamaru.

It was always how they sat, one on either side of her.

She wasn't the weak little girl she once was, but they both felt the need to protect her.

"Class," Kurenai spoke. Sakura hit her head against the desk. She didn't have anything against Kurenai, had she ever got to know her, she would have found that she was a rather sweet woman with issues of her own, but Sakura did not reach out to others. She had Shikamaru, and she had Neji. She didn't _need_ anyone else.

"This is our new student. Please, come in."

_Raise the curtain, welcome to the freak show._Sakura thought acidly. Did she really need to give him an introduction like that?

"He's so hot!"

"Totally, back off, he's so into me. I can tell!"

"Not even, who would want a stupid little slut like you?"

"What did you say?"

"I said-"

"Class!" Kurenai interrupted. "This is Suigetsu. Suigetsu, introduce yourself to the class."

The boy, Suigetsu, snorted. "You just did, didn't you?" He was met with a glare. "Okay, okay. I'm Suigetsu Hozuki. I'm from Mist High, I was transferred here after getting expelled, but my friend Jugo managed to rat out of it. I like knives. I like to hurt people. If you annoy me, you will find that out to be true."

After hearing his little speech, an amused Sakura finally looked up at the boy in front of the class.

He had long silver hair with a touch of light blue, strange purple eyes and shark like teeth.

"Okay Suigetsu, take a seat next to Uchiha. Sasuke, raise your hand please."

In the back right hand corner, a hand timidly rose through the air, half-hearted he kept his arm in the air for a few more seconds, before letting it fall graciously back to his desk, only a soft sound left in it's wake.

"Hey dude." He greeted, falling heavily into his seat. Sasuke merely nodded in return, barely noting his existence. "You're pretty quiet, aren't ya?" A nod. "Dude, are you mute?" A shake. No. "Are ya sure?" A nod.

Sighing, Suigetsu let his eyes scan over the room. Nothing interesting. The girls sat seperate from the boys all gossiping about 'the hot new kid', until his eyes rested on the three people who looked as if they could care less.

The first boy, the one sitting next to the window, stared outside with a vacant look plastered across his face, anyone would simply think he was daydreaming. Not aware of the reality around him, but his foot rested against the girls, something to remind him that she was there, she was safe. And he was there to know it.

The second boy, on the other side of the girl, had long hair tied at the very end. He wrote notes from the board in his book with his right hand, and held the girls hand with his left under the table. His sleeves were looser that day, a white bandage secretly wrapped beneath it's cover. He knew she was there, that she wasn't leaving him. She was safe, he was safe. They were okay.

Then, the girl in the middle. Her hair was an odd shade. A light pink, or perhaps an extremely light red, messily splayed across her back. She was pale, even more so than her two companions Her eyes were a startling shade of green. Almost like a forest green, tainted with jade.

"Dude," Suigetsu nudged Sasuke in the ribs, catching his attention. Sasuke looked up, following his table-partner's gaze to his long-time crush. "Who are they?" He failed to notice the light blush, barely noticeable to anyone but he felt it, spread across Sasuke's face.

It was always like this, he would see Sakura, looking beautiful as ever, and blush. Then he would open his eyes and realize.. he would never _ever_ be with her. Fuck, he couldn't even talk to her.

He was just the little emo shadow of Konoha High School, remember? Who was he to talk to a Goddess like Sakura Haruno?

"Dude?" Suigetsu attention was now on Sasuke. "I asked you a question."

"Oh,"

"Who are they?" He asked, looking back over to Sakura and her group.

"Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno and Neji Hyuuga."

Suigetsu's eyes seemed to widen a fraction.

"Sakura? I only got here today and I've already heard rumors. She does't look like a prostitute."

Instantly, two sets of glaring eyes were burning into Suigetsu's head. Neji and Shikamaru were barely holding themselves back. They were fiercely protective over Sakura. She, on the other hand, kept her head leaning against her hand, a bored expression on her face. She'd heard it all before, it didn't bother her anymore.

Reluctantly, Neji and Shikamaru returned to their previous positions.

"What are they? Her watchdogs?" He whispered to Sasuke, whom merely shrugged, retreating to his own world.

Sakura, when will you finally see me?

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**Well, what was that chapter like? I'm hoping it was good enough.**

**You didn't pin Neji for a cutter, did you? That was my own little twist. I know I haven't gone into great detail about Sakura or Sasuke yet, but I want to try show you all how close the Shika/Saku/Neji friendship, and go into how it formed and why. **

**Hopefully, by my next chapter, I will have a Beta!**

**-Dances- It'll be epic.**

**Please review.**

**Please show me what love is.**

**I am so emo, I'm adorable.**

**Right?**

**Show me the love !**

**xFuckTheMemories.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey (:**

**Well, guess what?**

**Yup, I officialy have a Beta. Thank you so much to **_Destroyed Illusions _**who helps me out a lot.**

**You are amazing.**

**Um, yeah this chapter actually has some SasuSaku moments in it.**

**Well, without further ado..**

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Author: xFuckTheMemories

The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions

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_I go back to December all the time...  
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_- Back To December, Taylor Swift._

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**Chapter Three.**

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It wasn't everyday Sakura was seen without either Neji or Shikamaru. Or both. But today.. Today was different.

She walked down the streets, black hoodie covering her head, hands thrust in her grey skinny jean pockets. She walked with her head down and shoulder hunched.

She walked like she was _lonely_.

You know those feeling you get? Those little suicidal thoughts, just chipping away at you? All it takes is one small twitch of the finger, one trigger to pull. Just one cut, a little deeper. Just one more handful of those pretty white sleeping pills.

You know the feeling, right? Of course you do. What's the point in trying to deny it?  
When all those bad memories that burn at the _back_ of your mind force themselves to the _front_. Just to mock you. Just to say '_Hello, I'm__ back. Remember this? Well, this is how pathetic you truly are..'_

A sigh escaped her slightly parted lips. Life was just beautiful, wasn't it?

The park came into view. It was almost like one of those scenes in horror movies. Empty, the only light was the moon shining down. It was eerily beautiful.

She took her seat on her swing. Not the one on the right hand side, but the one on the left. Never the right. Her mother used to sit in that swing. They used to swing, together.

_'Careful Sakura, if you swing too__ high, you'll go over the top and turn inside out!' _She could partially hear her younger self giggling as the memory flitted through her mind.

"Hi." A meek voice cut through her thoughts. Seeing someone in her mother's seat, she felt an emotion stir inside her, but she couldn't quite figure it out.

The boy next to her was vaguely familiar. His hair looked black, his eyes much the same. The light from the moon adding a dark blue shade.

"Hi." She answered just as quietly, her feet planted firmly on the ground, legs rocking slightly in a small swing.

"Why are you out so late?" He asked, his voice concerned.

She almost let out a snide remark. A 'Why do you care?', but she stopped.

And she answered with a shrug.

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"I can't believe I had a son like him!" Fugaku roared, throwing his hands in the air.

Sasuke quietly watched, peering around the corner trying his best to remain hidden in the shadows. It's what he was best at.

"Foolish, foolish little brother." Sasuke's eyes widened, he slowly turned his head and met the eyes of his old brother. "When will you ever learn?" He asked.

"Learn what?" Sasuke hissed.

"They will never love you. You are not me." And with that he turned, and left.

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Sasuke couldn't believe it when he saw Sakura sitting on the swing. He froze, and realized something he didn't think was possible. Sakura looked even more beautiful in the moonlight.

With butterflies in his stomach, his feet guided him to the swing set before his brain could register, leaving him no time to back out as he usually would.

He wanted to know why she was out past 3am. When they had school the next day. He wanted to ask why she was alone.  
He wanted to ask, _Sakura, can you see me yet?_

But he didn't. They sat in a comfortable silence.

And she would never know how much just being with her meant to him.

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"I know you, don't I?" She asked after a while. He nodded in response.

"We have all our classes together." He was honest. And he was hurt. He had hoped that she knew him. Knew of him. Knew his name at least. But she didn't. "I'm Sasuke." He continued.

"Sakura." She offered her own name. He knew that already, but he nodded politely anyway.

"You know, when I was younger, this used to be my favourite park." He told her. She looked over at him briefly, he was looking at his feet, his hands nervously folded in his lap. She said nothing, just waitingfor him to continue.

"When we were still a family, we would come here every Saturday. I'd run all over the place. Do everything backwards. I'd run up the slide, and slide down the rail. I even walked backwards everywhere." He looked over at her. "This playground used to mean the world to me." He met her eyes. _But know that's changed. It's been replaced. Now, that's you._

She looked down, breaking the eye contact, folding her arms. "My mom and I used to come here. I never had a father." He didn't know that. "We used to sit here, see who could swing the highest.." The corners of her lips tipped upward in a small smile. It was the most heart-wrenching thing Sasuke had ever seen. She offered no more words. They didn't need to be said.

He was grateful she had even talked to him. "Sometimes, I wish I had no parents." He whispered, glaring at the ground.

Sakura's eyes widened. How could anyone say something like that?

"My parents.. They don't even like me. They want me to live up to my brother's perfection. And when I couldn't.." He trailed off, squeezing his eyes closed, a tear slipped down his face.

Slowly, unsure of her actions, Sakura unfolded her arms, reaching for one of Sasuke's hands, she offered comfort.  
Startled, Sasuke snapped his eyes open. He looked from her, to their hands, before slowly entwining his fingers with hers.

How long had he dreamed of this?

Of her talking to him? Touching him?

Seeing him?

He didn't know why, what came over him, he didn't know anything right now. He just started telling her everything. Like he knew it would be kept safe.

"At school, I have nobody. I have no friends. I can't talk to anyone." She felt a pang in her chest. Before she knew Shika and Neji, this was how she felt. "My home life is bullshit. And I can't talk to anyone about it."

He gasped for a breath, not realising he was crying. Sakura squeezed his hand gently, he squeezed back. "My brother teases me. Tells me I'll never win our parents love. That my parents hate me. And it's true. I know it is. I hear them talking about me when they think I'm asleep. I'm the great disgrace that plagued the Uchiha bloodline. I'm not even worthy of the Uchiha name."

He was breaking down. And he couldn't do a single thing to stop it.

Suddenly, the warmth in his hand was gone, he drew his hand back to himself, squeezing his eyes closed tighter than ever before.

She had left him. Just like everyone else. He was alone again.

He felt something small nudge against his knee. Slowly, he cracked one eye open. In disbelief, he opened the other. Sakura stood in front of him, her legs touching against his.

She held her arms open.

And Sasuke didn't hesitate. He stood, towering over her by a foot, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

And he let her hold him together.

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Sasuke had never looked forward to school. It just wasn't in his genetic make-up. But today... Today was different. Maybe he would see Sakura again. Maybe she would ask if he would like to sit with her. Maybe she would sit with him.

But she wasn't here yet. And neither were her two best friends.

He waited, watching the classroom door intensley.

But she never walked through.

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Sakura thrashed in her bed, desperately trying to escape her nightmare.

_"She's fine. Just leave her."  
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_"I will not leave my daughter! Sakura, honey! It's okay. Calm down, baby."_

_A five year old Sakura tried to comprehend what on earth was going on. Why were these men holding her mother? Why were they in their home? Why was her mommy crying? Why was her mommy bleeding? Why was she hurt?  
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_"Mommy!" Sakura yelled, trying to escape the arms that held her tightly.  
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"Shit, Shikamaru wake her up!"  
"I'm trying!"

_"Mommy!"  
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_"It's okay Sakura. I promise, it's okay." __The men started leaving, and only then did Sakura see all the blood coming from her mother. It was pouring from her. Staining her clothes. So much more than she had initially thought.  
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_"Mom.." She sobbed. Her mother hugged her tightly, and Sakura pushed herself against the woman who gave her life. The person she cared most about in the entire world.  
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_"It's going to be okay, baby. I promise. I love you, you know that right?"  
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"It's not working!"

"Shake her harder!"  
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A nod._  
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"Good girl. That's my baby. I have to go to the hospital now, okay? But when I get back, we can go out for ice cream!" She tried to say cheerfully, but winced from the shallow cut in her throat.  
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_Her mother never returned from the hospital._  
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Her mother never returned at all._

"Sakura, come on wake up! I know you can hear me!"

Her eyes snapped open; a worried Shikamaru leaned over her, shaking her shoulders. She leapt from her previous position throwing herself into his arms, knocking Shikamaru onto his back. He calmly ran a hand through her messy pink locks and whispered to her.

"You're alright now, honey. You're safe." She nodded against his chest, hugging him tightly.

Neji entered the room again, holding a glass of water. Sakura lay in Shikamaru's arms, both of their eyes closed. Taking off his shoes, he walked to the bed, slipping in behind Sakura, he wrapped his arms around the shaking girl.

The three stayed like that for the rest of the day.

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**I have _THE_ best Beta ever !**

**Seriously, you should be thanking her so much, her inbox is jamming with messages .**

**I'm so pumped about this, can you tell?**

**Okay, I'll stop gushing.**

**So, how were the SasuSaku pieces? Too much for the beginning? Too little?**

**Just right?**

**Review, tell me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter took my a while to decide on.**

**I must have changed it around 7 times.**

**So, I hope you like the final version (:**

**Anorexic/Bulimic warning.**

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**Author: xFuckTheMemories**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_Do you know what it's like, when you're scared to see yourself?  
Do you know what it's like, when you wish you were someone else.__  
_

_- Never Surrender - Skillet._

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**Chapter Four.**

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She stepped out of the shower, pink hair matted to her porcelain face; the mirror showing her reflection.

Sakura squeezed her eyes closed, trying to block her reflection from her mind. Trying to imagine that it wasn't there. Imagine that it wasn't her disgusting, fat body in that mirror.

She lifted one hand, just to touch her ribs.

Through another's eyes, you would see skin. Bone. The outline of ribs.

She dragged her hand down to rest on her sharp hip bone. She pressed against the skin, feeling fat beneath it.

She cracked one green eye open, looking back into that mirror.

A fat girl stared back.

With an angry cry, she delivered a sharp punch to her stomach, leaned over the toilet, and vomited.

When she was finished, she weighed herself.

2 digits appeared.

89. She was 89 pounds.

And she hated herself for it.

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"I've never liked swings." Neji grumbled under his breath as he watched Sakura out the corner of his eye. He traced patterns in the dirt beneath his converse clad feet.

"Why not?" Sakura asked, extending her legs as she swung forward.

She had met up with Neji around noon. She felt she could run, hide away from her problems, by submerging herself in someone else's.

Plus, if they were too preoccupied with their own problems, they wouldn't be thinking of hers.

"It's like.. You swing forwards 'I'm getting somewhere!', then backwards 'Wait, no I'm not..' I don't see the point in one step forward and one step back. You won't get anywhere." He explained, glaring at the dirt.

Slowly coming to a halt, she stopped and looked at him. "You know, sometimes you put way too much thought into things. It's a swing, Neji." But she knew what he meant.

Sometimes, when things were going so well, or at least, you thought they were, they almost always take a sharp turn for the worst.

And you're thrown a step back.

Right back where you started.

His eyes continued to stay downcast.

It was times like these, where those little thoughts flooded his brain. Where he wanted to know why he was such an ultimate failure.

Sakura was always there for him, and in a way.. In a way, he felt helpless.

Not because he was high and mighty. But because he knew she suffered too. He knew what she was doing to herself.

When he lifted her up that day, she must have weighed only 90 - 95 pounds.

He wanted to try and talk to her about it, but she was a good actress.

_'I'm fine, Neji.' A smile. A grin. A laugh. 'You're seriously worried about me? Well isn't that a change from I-am-Neji-Hyuuga-hear-me-roar!' A joke. _Anything to change the subject.

Neji stood from his swing, "I should go. I'm 99 percent sure that the lazy ass is asleep in a dark alley somewhere." He dug into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. It wasn't anything flash, a simple black slide. "I'll text you from his phone once I find him."

This always happened, she couldn't afford her own cell phone. So the guys would let her borrow one of theirs if they ever split up.

Neji leaned down, sliding the device in the front pocket of her hoodie, before leaving a kiss on her forehead, turned, and walked away.

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"Sasuke, dude. Sup?" Suigetsu asked, falling rather ungracefully into the hard plastic chair the school provided.

Sasuke said nothing, just continued to keep writing notes from the front of the class. He was always only one word behind Kurenai. He kept trying to guess what the next word would be. Sometimes he got it right.

But then again, he was smart. Wasn't he?

A nudge to his ribs, and one glare later, Suigetsu finally had Sasuke's attention.

"What?" He yelled. The class stopped. All heads turning to him. He blushed lightly under all the attention.

"Sasuke, is there something you wanted to share with the class?" Kurenai asked patiently.

He blushed harder, trying to push his emotions down. "No thank-you." A surge of pride went through him, he almost stuttered. But he didn't.

"So, Little Pink Riding Hood hasn't been in for a few days. Neither has the one with freaky eyes. And the other one."

"Little Pink Riding Hood?" Sasuke asked. Seriously, where had he gotten that anyway?

"Yep." Suigetsu smiled proudly. "She's so little. And has pink hair. And is always wearing a hoodie."

Sasuke had to admit, Suigetsu was pretty observant. Sakura was little. She did have flawless pink hair, and was always wearing a hoodie. She always wore sleeves, too. Hot day or not. Suigetsu acted like an idiot, pretending he had a brain the size of a peanut. When in all reality, he was actually quite smart.

"You're seriously not living up to your potential in school work."

"Pfft. That's because school is shit. Who needs it?" Suigetsu asked in a rhetorical manner.

"People that want a job."

"Oh.. Yeah."

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_To: Neji._  
_From: Shikamaru._

_Found him. Aslp n top of skwl roof. Loser._

Sakura smiled at the text message before sliding the cell phone up, and typing quickly back.

_To: Shikamaru._  
_From: Neji._

_Typical. Yu heading to hys?_

She hit send and waited patiently.

_To Neji._  
_From Shikamaru._

_Yep. As soon as I throw some rocks and wake him up._  
_You meeting us there?_

Well, there wasn't much to do at the park, was there?

_To Shikamaru._  
_From Neji._

_Yepp.x_

Sakura stood from her swing, stretching in a cat like manner.

And started the short walk.

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The times when she was alone.. she hated.

She liked to be around her best friends, she liked to be happy.

She pulled the joint out of her pocket, put it to her lips and lit it before taking a long drag.

She had her reasons for turning to drugs. But this was only pot. It was okay.

Maybe she should stop by the liquor store on the way there.

Yeah.. That sounded like a good idea.

We all like to escape from time to time. Some people run, and imagine the world is far away in the distance. Some people dance, and get lost in the music. Everyone has their own escape.

This was hers.

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She hadn't arrived at Shikamaru's yet.

They were both worried. It had been two hours. From the park, it should only take 20 minutes.

"She's not usually this late." Neji stated, from his place in the lounge. He was currently boring holes in the floor with his pacing.

"Troublesome woman.." Shikamaru grumbled. He put up his bored expression, masking his worry.

"Fuck," Neji swore, his lavender eyes wide. Shikamaru's brain seemed to comprehend the same thought as Neji, slamming a hand to his forehead, bored expression totally gone, replaced by worry. What if she was hurt? What if she had drunk herself into oblivion? What if she got kidnapped?

He couldn't continue the 'what-if's' running through his mind.

Neji had already pulled the door open and slammed it shut behind him.

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Sasuke was trying to escape. He just wanted to be a different person. Why did he have to be so pathetic? Why couldn't he be good enough for his parent? He tried his hardest, he got above average grades in school. He was always doing his best. Why wasn't it good enough?

He jumped out of the window, intent on walking to the park again.

Why did he even bother sneaking out? It's not like his parents cared enough about him - or at all, for that matter - to really notice.

The only time his parents discussed him was when they were talking about how much of a disappointment he was.

The first thing he could smell was pot.

He'd never tried it before, only knew the smell from when he caught Itachi doing it. Itachi, being the man he is, blamed it on Sasuke as soon as their parents smelt it.

Then he saw it.

Sakura was on the ground. Her legs lay flat on the ground, crossed at the ankles. One of her arms stretched behind her, supporting her upper body. The other hand held a bottle containing clear liquid.

"Hi." The word just slipped out of his mouth. She didn't jump like he expected her to. She just calmly looked at him.

"Hi." She answered. Her voice was soft, he noted. Just above a whisper.

He internally debated for a minute. Did she want to be left alone? Would she mind if he sat with her?

"You look like a man who could use a drink." She told him, extending her arm, holding the bottle titled _Absolut Vodka_.**  
**  
He took short, careful steps. As if she was going to disappear. Or worse, run away.

But she didn't. She stayed still, offering him the bottle.

So he sat next to her, took the bottle and poured some down his throat, loving the warm feeling that came with it.

Or maybe that was just sitting so close to Sakura.

"Trouble in paradise?" She asked him, leaning her head on his shoulder as he held the bottle. He smiled at the action, looking down into his lap.

"Yeah." He nodded, before looking down at her. "What about you?" He asked.

She shrugged against him. "Tell me about you."

"That's a bit unfair. I talked last time." He wanted to hear more about her.

She sighed. "Okay." She lifted her head from his shoulder, and he instantly missed the warmth. She took the bottle from his hand, with a look that said 'I'm going to need this more than you'.

"The other day, I told you I didn't have a father." She looked at him, he nodded in response. "He left. As soon as I was born. Didn't want to be the father of the Demon-child. Because what child is born with pink hair?" She smiled as she tugged on a lock of pink. "My mom didn't mind. She loved me enough for both of them."

He sympathised with her. He knew how it felt to have a parents disgust aimed at you. But his at least stuck around.

"When I was five, some people broke into our home. They'd stabbed her. Cut her. She protected me. Took every single hit they had, defending me." She closed her eyes, her grip on the bottle tightening until the neck snapped, little glass shards embedding themselves into her hands. Sasuke immediately threw the bottle, inspecting her hand, picking out the glass, before ripping part of his shirt and wrapping her hand.

"The knives may have been what killed her. But I was the cause of death."

He froze.

She blamed herself.

"Is that why you do this to yourself?" He asked gesturing to the broken bottle, the smell of pot. The scars on her arms he knew were there.

She smiled. It was haunting. Eerie. Sad.

"I don't like myself sober."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey my lovies,**

**Well this is the new chapter.**

**A day early.**

**Remember to show your love and appreciation**

**By reviewing.**

**It keeps the updates coming (:**

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_.__  
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_"Something's getting in the way. Something's just about to break.  
I will try to find my place."_

_Diary of Jane - Breaking Benjamin._

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**Chapter Five.**

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Sakura fell on her bed. Tears pouring from her eyes, she clutched her pillow to her chest.

"Why is it.. We're faced with all these problems?" She sobbed into the pillow, a trail of black eye make up staining her pillow.

"Other people have problems too." A voice mumbled. Shikamaru.

"But why?" She choked on the air in her throat before burying her face in the pillow once again.

She felt the bed dip, Shikamaru's hand gently tugged the tangles out of her pink locks.

"Because that's just life. We're all dealt a troublesome life. We have to make mistakes in order to find out where we belong. Why do you think we live, Sakura?" He asked her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"..." He received no answer. So he continued talking.

"Each of us are important to at least one person in this world." He paused. His hand stopped combing through her hair. He froze.

Sakura flipped herself over, looking up into Shikamaru's dark eyes.

"Uhh, forget it. This cheering you up thing is such a drag." He looked away. She smiled, leaning into him.

"For the record, it worked."

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"I will give you this," Neji held up a 20 pack of cigarettes. "If you come to school. Today. Right now."

Sakura weighed her options. Was a day worth of school worth cigarettes? It was _school_.

She sighed, snatching the rectangular object, tearing at the plastic packaging and sticking her 'Death Stick' between her lips. "I fucking  
hate you." She hissed, throwing the packet in her school bag, before throwing that over her shoulder and walking out the door.

"Smoking kills!" Neji yelled out sarcastically.

"That's the point!" She yelled back.

Some things just never changed.

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"Haruno!"

"Kurenai!"

Kurenai growled under her breath. "Will you ever pay attention, Sakura?" She asked sweetly through gritted teeth.

"I have a short attention span." She shrugged, fingering the cigarette packet in her bag.

She wasn't addicted to smoking, she just liked to do it. I mean, everyone has to die of something, right?

Neji nudged her hard in the ribs, she winced. "The fuck?" She hissed at him, leaning over to tug on his long hair. He simply swatted her hand away.

"For once, Sakura, can you not get in trouble?" He asked as if he were talking to a mere child.

"Don't patronize me."

"Are you two done?" Kurenai asked with a glare.

"Not yet." Sakura answered quickly. "You owe me for not biting your throat out right now."

"You're still saying that? I know you wouldn't."

"You really wanna test that theory?" She raised an eye brow, and was met with silence. She looked up to Kurenai. "Finished now." She smiled sickly sweet.

Not knowing why, Sakura turned her head to the other side of the classroom. Sasuke was looking at her. She smiled, waving a little. She didn't see him blush from the shadow cast over his face, but he smiled a little and waved back.

Turning back in her seat, she felt a warmth spread through her.

Kind of awkwardly, Sakura adjusted in her seat, trying to shake the warmth off.

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"We have got to stop meeting like this." Sakura accused the onyx eyed boy whom had just sat on the swing next to hers.

He mumbled, "Why? It's the only time I can ever talk to you."

True.

"Am I that.." She searched for a word. "Unapproachable?" Was she that scary? Intimidating?

Sensing her thoughts, he quickly realized his mistake. "School makes me nervous." He blurted. _Keep going, don't sound like such an idiot, idiot!_"Uhh.. Yeah. I just do the work. I don't really socialize." _Way to make yourself look like a loner. You fail._ He inwardly sighed.

"Hmm.. Neither do I. I only went today because Neji is an ass." She looked into the distance, and Sasuke felt that familiar rush of jealousy flow through him. He tightened his hold on the chains. _Like I would ever be good enough for her, anyway._

"You know.." Sakura started. "I think we could have been good friends. If I was another person."

Sasuke looked at her alarmed. "What's wrong with how you are?"

She folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Truth is, I don't want to bring you into my freak-zone I call a life." She looked over at him, her  
eyes piercing through his own with such a cold stare, he almost flinched. His heart sank at having this look pointed at him.

He looked away, not being able to stand the weight of the stare. "Maybe I could help.."

Her voice was quiet now. "You think people haven't tried before?" She hesitated, before talking again. "Why do you think Neji and Shikamaru don't live with their families?"

He didn't know where he found the courage. But he reached for her hand, and held it in his. "Then I've got nothing to lose, have I?"

She looked at him. Carefully reading every detail in his body language, scanning hi eyes. Looking for any sign of a lie. She found none, eventually giving up.

"Thank you.."

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"So, I've made a new friend." Sakura announced from her position. She was currently between her two boys, lying on Shikamaru's bed.

Neji looked over at her, raising a thin eyebrow. "Who?" He asked quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping genius to her left. She didn't know why he bothered. They could clash symbols next to his ears and he wouldn't wake up.

"Sasuke Uchiha." She stated clearly. Neji's eyes narrowed.

"Itachi's younger brother?" He asked, his voice sharp.

She remembered Sasuke talking about his brother. "Yes."

"Oh. Great. Another stuck up asshole."

"You mean you, Neji? Hate to break it to you, but Sasuke isn't an asshole." She narrowed her eyes. Neji sighed, averting his gaze.

"Itachi is a few years older than me-"

"Us."

"I'm older than you, Sakura." She shrugged at this. She was the youngest of their group. Neji continued, "He was the smartest guy to enter high school. Finished early, took all AP classes. He made Shikamaru look stupid."

"You're just as smart as Shika, you know."

He shifted his gaze again, a sign his self-consciousness was setting in again. I guess living in a place that demands perfection, your self-esteem would drop dramatically.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, but said nothing.

He smiled as small smile. "You know, I haven't cut today." He nudged her. Sakura smiled.

He had enough scars already.

Almost as much as her.

"That's great!" She threw her arms around his neck in a hug. He laughed, hugging her back.

"Guys.. Shut up." Shikamaru mumbled, one of his arms flailing the bed, looking for something to hit. "Such a drag..."

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"-does nothing! He will not amount to anything in his life!" This was his father's voice.

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled angrily, tears brimming his eyes.

His parents looked up the stairs, where their youngest child stood, his tall body shaking, fists balled at his sides. But he was going to be strong.

"Boy," His father hissed dangerously. "Do not speak to your parents like that." He threatened.

Sasuke closed his eyes tightly. "Just shut up! Why? Why do you both hate me so much? What did I do wrong? I try my hardest to please you!"

Fugaku chuckled darkly, walking up the stairs toward Sasuke.

_Flee. Run away. Run fast. Don't look back._ It all ran through his mind, but he stupidly stood his ground. _Run, run now!_

He didn't.

But he should have.

Fugaku pulled back his fist, connecting it with Sasuke's gut. Sasuke winced, grunting against the blow, but didn't have much time to think about it.

He was falling.

Down the stairs.

He heard a scream, then a crack.

That's when the darkness came.

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"Fugaku, what have you done?" Mikoto hissed, running to her son's side.

The man in question shrugged. "What needed to be done." He looked at his wife. "He is the center of our problems."

Mikoto thought for a while, brushing the hair out of her son's face.

Was he really the center of their problems? She shook her head.

She realized it now.

When had they become so corrupted? The only time they talked was when they were arguing about their son.

All of the things she had said, just for her husband to talk to her.

She had lied through her teeth, sacrificing her love for her son for the love of her husband.

She was so selfish.

So blind.

"I hate you," She hissed, looking away from Sasuke's face, toward Fugaku. She shook her head, tears falling through the air. "Look at what we've become, Fugaku! Look at our son!" She demanded.

But he didn't.

Instead, he turned. And he left the room. He left his son. He left his wife. He left their house.

Mikoto sobbed over her son, carefully trying to pull him to a stand. "Sasuke," She choked, but continued talking. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Come on, stand up. We need to check your wrist."

Sasuke mumbled, slowly blinking his eyes.

"Mom?" He asked carefully. He felt her arms around him, and that sincere look on her face. It couldn't be directed at him.

It had to be a dream.

Yet, he smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke." She sobbed again, waking Sasuke fully.

"It's not a dream?" He asked, reaching out and touching her hair.

"Be careful, son. I think your wrist is broken. We need to get a doctor to look at it."

"Why?" Sasuke suddenly pulled his hand back, glaring at the woman. He threw himself out of her grasp, landing harshly on the ground.

The pain in his wrist forgotten. The emotional pain was worse. "Why do you care? You hate me!" He yelled. "And I hate you!"

Mikoto smiled sadly, the tears streamed down her lightly tan skin. "I know you do." She closed her eyes, her heart breaking all over again. "You have every right. But you must know how deeply sorry I am, Sasuke."

Sasuke said nothing, closing his eyes to block her out. She had hurt him so badly, he couldn't let her do it again.

She had never apologized before.

He didn't know what to believe.

He was fragile.

This was all too much.

He got up, and he ran.

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**Intense, huh?**

**I feel I rushed the Mikoto/Sasuke bonding scene, but I really wanted to mend that relationship.**

**I guess she just has to realize it might be a little harder than expected.**

**Anyway, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry for the late update. **

**I try so hard to update and think of a good story line,**

**But I've just started back at high school again from home school and it's hectic.**

**I don't have many friends there. I'm the loner.**

**So it's your reviews that actually make my day, so please leave this little loner some love.**

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_.__  
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_"Fuck this hurts, I won't lie. Doesn't matter how hard I try.."_

_Bleed it Out - Linkin Park._

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**Chapter Five.**

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Sometimes the days were good.

You could skip through bright green, lush fields with rainbows in the sky, and pixies flying all around you. You could be loud, sing off tune, laugh and dance.

You could be _happy_.

Sometimes, most times, they weren't so good.

Those were the days were the thoughts of the blades came in. The want to trace beautiful patterns into your skin. Where the depression hit hard.

Where they would both unknowingly go to bed, sharing the same thoughts.

_'I wish I wouldn't wake up in the morning..'_

Sasuke, in a desperate search to find a way to vent, came across a shard of glass in the park. He ran the edge across his wrist in  
experimentation. He tried to bleed his problems away. Maybe physical pain would numb the emotional pain.

Thus, he started an addiction.

He went to the park every night, and on those nights she didn't show...

He went for his second option.

To bleed it out.

Sakura's reasoning was closely related.

Shikamaru had started seeing this girl, Ino, who attended a prestigious girl's high school. She was tall, blond, beautiful, skinny and smart.

Everything Sakura wished she could be.

She had to prove she was better. She had to make herself thinner than Ino. To be beautiful, she had to be thin, to be thin, she had to not eat.

Shikamaru had only met her two weeks ago, and it was love at first sight. One of her best friends had been ripped away from her so easily.

She found the alcohol every night, the pot stashed in the pantry, a sharp little razor blade and the roof of her apartment.

Neji had tried to understand her problem. Fuck, he had lost his friend too. It was always Neji who would find her passed out on the roof, and carry her back to her apartment. He was living with her now, Shikamaru always had Ino around, and Neji begun to feel like the third wheel.

They had all slipped into such unhealthy habits.

Everything up until this point has all been an introduction. Now we're getting to the real thing.

The raw centre of it all.

Welcome to their fucked up, insecure and hated lives.

This is how some people live.

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_"You know, you have Neji and I."_

_"Yeah, but for how long?"_

She didn't know it would be cut so short.

She took another swig of the awful tasting liquid, it burnt her throat as she swallowed. But all she wanted to do was forget.

Forget that Shikamaru could be telling all her secrets to his 'true love'. Forget that she was so hurt by his disappearance. Forget she felt betrayed. Forget what she was forgetting about.

Fuck, she needed something stronger.

This wasn't helping her forget. Not. At. All.

Was he ashamed of them? Is that why she had only met Ino once?

Had Ino turned Shikamaru against them?

Gah! Why did she even care?

He was gone, and that was life.

Wasn't it?

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His mother left him some space. Let him do whatever he pleased.

She waited for him to come to her, so they could talk. So they could be a family.

But he hadn't said a word.

His father still hadn't come home, and his brother was away. Nobody knew where.

Sakura.. He hadn't seen her for a while.

Didn't know where she was. She never came to school. Nor did Neji or Shikamaru. But Suigetsu had told him that Shikamaru ditched Sakura and Neji for a girl.

He never thought that the genius would make such a foolish mistake.

The only time he ever saw Sakura was if Neji was carrying her passed out form to her apartment.

He didn't stalk them. He just... Followed them.

Neji's sharp eyes had picked him up in the darkness, and he was questioned immediately. But all Sasuke wanted to know about was her safety.

She had so many issues, why should he plague her with his own problems and create a more hectic life for her?

He could just suffer in silence.

He glared at the wooden desk in his room, a knife angrily stabbed through its surface.

He walked towards it, eyes never leaving the shiny surface. The metal gleamed as a ray of light shot toward it, making the blade all the  
more enticing.

His fingers curled around the sharp edges, he closed his eyes.

_'Sakura..' _He breathed a sigh_. '...I miss you.'_

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The rain pelted down on her small form, the wind trying to throw her off of her path. It partially succeeded, throwing her off balance. But  
she pushed through it. She had to know why.

She got to his apartment, didn't even bother knocking.

"Sakura?" Shikamaru yelled surprised. "What are you doing here?" He shut the door behind her, turning to a cupboard and getting a blanket, wrapping it around her.

"Why?" Her voice was dead.

"Why?" Shikamaru laughed lightly. "Because you're soaked to the bone, silly girl. I thought you'd be cold."

"No. Why?" She gritted her teeth. "Why did you leave us?"

Shikamaru's brown eyes softened as they locked with her green. "I didn't leave you -"

"Yes you did. I want to know why."

"But I didn't leave you!" He was yelling now.

"Yes you fucking did! Why did you leave me and Neji? What the fuck did we do to deserve this? We took you in, Shikamaru!" She hissed  
through gritted teeth. "We loved you when no one else would." She choked back a sob, her voice wavering. "We became your family  
when your real one left. What did we do to deserve this?" She was whispering the last of her sentence, and it was tearing him apart.

He hated seeing her cry, she was such a strong person. But here she was, breaking down right in front of his very own eyes. He tried to wrap her in an embrace, but she pulled away angrily, wiping at her eyes.

"Sakura.." He was at a loss for words. He tried so hard. This was such a drag. All of this was such a fucking drag.

"Why?" Her voice was defeated. She was giving up. Sakura was giving up on him just like that. "For Ino?"

"It's not like that. I love Ino, Sakura. I'm new to the whole relationship thing. I just want to be around her."

He reached for Sakura again, trying to touch her darkened pink hair as it matted to her face with tears. She shook her head, stepping  
away from him. She walked toward the door.

"Over." She whispered. She shook her head again, as if this wasn't really happening. She opened the door.

"Sakura, please! You have to believe me! I love you too, we don't have to end our friendship! Please believe me.." He whispered brokenly.

But, you know what they say. The best part of believe.. is lie.

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"Sakura!" Neji panicked, rushing toward her. "Where the hell have you been? You're drenched. What did you do? Try think and walk at the same time and fall in a lake?" He tried to joke, but her face just looked so.. empty.

"Over.." She whispered to Neji. She collapsed in his arms, crying her broken heart out on his chest. "Shikamaru's gone. It's over!" She yelled, gripping to Neji's black shirt as if it were a life line. "It's over! It's over! It's over!" She sniffed, as Neji ran his fingers through her  
hair trying to disentangle it and smooth it out.

"It's all over.." She whispered.

"He's really gone." Neji confirmed.

And they both broke down together, over the loss of a friend.

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Sakura and Neji actually went to school a few days after that. They needed the distraction.

But they didn't expect the source of the problem to be at school too.

Shikamaru didn't sit in his usual seat the next day. He sat on his own, near Sasuke's desk. His head on the desk, and to anyone else, it would look like he was sleeping.

But he wasn't. His arms were cradling his head, his hair even messier than usual. No one could see his face, they couldn't see the deep bags beneath his eyes, or his pale complexion. They didn't see that his eyes were red from both crying and the drugs he'd smoked early this morning.

He hadn't seen Ino since the day Sakura confronted him.

He hadn't wanted to. He was too upset. Too selfish in wanting to keep his friends and a girlfriend.

Too absorbed in his own life, he never stopped to recognize anyone else's.

_'I'm sorry, Sakura. Neji.' _He slowly lifted his head to look at them.

Sakura was in Neji's lap, trying to distract herself with his long coffee colored hair. While Neji had his arms locked around her in a vice  
grip, desperately hoping that she wouldn't disappear just as Shikamaru had.

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"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura whispered as she approached the silver haired man's desk.

Kakashi's one visible eye crinkled in a way that she knew he was smiling beneath his mask.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" He asked her lightly. He always had a soft spot for the fragile little girl.

In so many ways she was exactly like the flower she was named after. So small and delicate, fragile and beautiful. He always had the need  
to protect his pink haired student.

"You know, don't you? About Shikamaru."

"Hai, Sakura. I do." His voice was soft, he shifted some papers over on his desk before she gracefully sat down on it.

She nervously swung her legs, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, chewing her bottom lip. She kept her eyes on the ground.

"What do I do about it?" She finally asked, watching her legs swing.

Kakashi put his hand on her knee, drawing her attention to him. He smiled at her.

"I think you should talk to someone," His smile widened as he thought about his raven haired student. "I see you've met Sasuke. Sometimes, talking to someone you don't know very well can be one of the best things for you. They can't judge you."

"Yes they can," Sakura interrupted. "This isn't some 1800's ancient time, Kakashi-sensei. People will talk about you. And hurt you. And judge you!"

"Did you judge me when I told you about Rin?" Kakashi interrupted her this time. His voice gentle, he squeezed her leg lightly in a way that made her calm down.

She shook her head again, before hugging the man beside her.

"Thank you, Kakashi."

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**So, I'm kinda debating.**

**I want to bring Karin into this. **

**I'm going to start a poll with pairings, and I want you to vote!**

**Even if you just leave a review of all the side pairings you want.**

**Like Ino/Shika. Or if I bring in Karin, Karin/Shika?**

**I'm going for Suigetsu/Karin.**

**But you tell me, my loyal reviewers!**


	7. Chapter 7

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_.__  
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_"Since we've always been together  
the space between us has become too big"_

_Yura Yura (Translated Version) - Hearts Grow._

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**Chapter Seven.**

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There was nothing harder than this.

Than that numbing feeling spreading through your whole entire body. Even to the tips of your toes.

It's still there, and your heart is set racing, thumping so loudly in your chest that you think everyone can hear it.

_Thump, thump, th-thump -_

And yet, no matter how hard you try to calm yourself..

_Thump! Thump! Thump! -_

It just doesn't work.

_- THUMP!_

She squeezed her eyes closed.

The pain is everywhere, it's not numb anymore.

But she wished it was.

A tear escaped the corner of her green eyes, a trail of black mascara following.

She looked at the grave.

Kin Haruno.

_I'm so sorry._

Died September 26.

_I'm so, so sorry._

Loving mother, dedicated worker.

_Because after all -_

She fell on the ground, the dampness seeping through her black jeans. She rested her arms on the grave stone, trying to hug her  
mother's memory.

_-This was__ her fault._

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Neji was not blind.

He could see Sakura growing close to the Uchiha.

No, he wasn't blind. He let it happen. Although it killed him, tore everything he had inside of him to tiny sharp, shards. Too tiny to pick up, but enough to leave a scar from piercing his skin.

He hated the Uchiha for what he was doing.

First Shikamaru.. Now Sakura.

He eyed the large bottle, mentally counting all the little white pills it held.

He poured them into his pale hand.

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Suigetsu was always the happy one.

He smiled wide, always showing his sharp teeth.

He loved seeing the terrified looks people gave him.

Call him evil if you must, but it was just so fun to watch those full grown men cower back and avoid his path.

He just felt so powerful.

There was only one person that held something over him.

His ex-girlfriend.

Karin.

Ex was supposed to symbolise the end of their relationship.

That they no longer held feelings for one another.

But that wasn't true. He knew she still loved him.

And Suigetsu would never stop loving her.

But they had to end it, for their own good. He was moving. And she wouldn't be able to follow.

It was for her.

And he was too blind to see that she loved him so much, she didn't want to let him go.

So he let her go, instead.

Oh, shit. School was coming into his view. He pulled out of his thoughts, slapping that fake happy-go-lucky smile on his face..

And he walked through the school like he was the king of the world.

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"I don't see why you're so caught up in this, Shika-kun." Shikamaru winced as Ino called him Shika, though it went unnoticed by her.

'Shika' was reserved for Sakura only. How had he missed that? It just felt.. wrong when someone else said it.

Even if it was Ino.

"It's nothing, Ino. Don't wory about it." He reassured her, looking out to his shadow. It stretched as he lifted his hand, bending to his will.

He wanted to laugh at all the memories he had with his shadow.

It sounded so stupid now that he thought about it. But he and Sakura used to play Shadow Tag. She would sprint, her lithe body cutting through the wind, and stomp on his shadow, before turning and sprinting toward a shaded area where he could not locate her shadow.

"Shika-kun?" Ino looked at him with curious cerulean eyes. "Why are you laughing?"

He couldn't stop laughing.

Because if he did, he would more than likely break down.

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"Mother?" Sasuke called. He recevied no reply.

"Mother?" He repeated his previous actions, moving through the rooms of the house. He just couldn't find her.

He stopped, and strained his ears to listen.

He could hear sobs. Not feminine sobs, but deep, throaty, broken sobs.

"Mother?" He was worried now. Especially if it was Itachi crying. Something in his gut told him it was.

He raced up the stairs faster than he ever thought possible, and threw the door to his parent's bedroom open.

He was not, in any way, ready for the scene that met him on the other side.

His father.. No, he couldn't call him that. Not anymore. Fugaku stood a distance away from Itachi and Mikoto. He held a small gun in his right hand.

Mikoto lay on the ground, Itachi holding her shaking form.

"Why?" He screamed at Fugaku. "Why would you kill mother?" Itachi only held her closer, burying his face in her hair. "Please don't go, okaa-san. Stay, I need you. Sasuke needs you.."

Fugaku said nothing. His face as white as a sheet. He shook, his mouth hanging open like he was gasping for air.

Sasuke ignored him, he fell to his mother's side. Itachi glanced up at him worriedly, but Sasuke shook it off.

"Sasuke-chan.." Mikoto smiled. It was a genuine smile. She reached out, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes. "I love you, Sasuke-chan."

She kept smiling. "I wanted you to know." She closed her eyes, her breath becoming more ragged.

"Mom, you can't go yet. You said we would be a family again. You can't just leave, not now!" Sasuke whispered loudly.

"I'm sorry, my son." She cracked an eye open at Itachi. "My two sons." She smiled again. "Know that I will always love you."

Her breathing had stopped now. And the silence was all too much.

Sasuke broke down, Itachi didn't know how to comfort him.

After all, how would you comfort your younger brother you supposedly hated? He did it anyway.

Itachi moved to grab Sasuke, pulling him into an embrace. The younger Uchiha sobbed, his tears staining Itachi's grey shirt.

The gun threw another round from the barrel. A loud bang echoing through the house. Followed by a thud.

Without looking they both knew.

Fugaku was no more.

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"Life isn't fair, Sasuke." Suigetsu placed a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke remained still, looking down at the floor. It was suddenly so  
interesting. So much more interesting than Kakashi-sensei's lecture.

Suigetsu removed the limb from Sasuke, pulling it back to his side.

Sasuke, still unmoving, stared at the floor.

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Red.

It was quickly becoming his favourite color.

He couldn't help it, it just looked so.. alluring. The way it seeped through is skin, dripped down his arm, falling from his fingers onto the  
hard, moist ground.

"You could say something, you know." Sasuke called out. He knew she was there.

Sakura turned to look at him from her swing.

She shrugged, "There are times when sympathetic words only make it worse."

Sasuke stared at her for a long while. "Why.." He paused, looking for the right words to say. "Why do you not seem surprised?" He held his freshly cut arm to her.

He had expected her to push his arm away. To look away in disgust.

But she didn't.

She just sighed, removing her black tank top, revealing a grey strapless top underneath. She bit into the material of the tank, tearing a long shred. She grabbed Sasuke's arm, wrapping the wound in the clothing.

He couldn't form words. He was too stunned. He hadn't expected her to show such affection.

Finally tying the make-shift bandage tight, she slung the now ripped tank top over her shoulder.

That wasn't the end of it.

She pulled off her long black fingerless gloves, removing the jelly bracelets and any other jewellery adorning her arms.

He watched her arms closely , eyeing all the scars that littered the fine porcelain. They went in every direction. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal. Words were carved in. Fat, ugly, forehead, hate.

His heart was frozen in place.

"You.." But his voice was gone. "You.." He was stuck on repeat.

She nodded. Her voice soft, "Tried to kill myself. Cut myself. Yes, I did."

"But.. Why?"

She just shook her head.

"The pain of being alone is not an easy one to bear." She pulled on her gloves and bracelets. Turning her head away from him and up to the sky. It was strange, but she couldn't meet his eyes. "But, I feel I can relate to yours. I already have a precious person," This time she met his eyes. They seemed so cold and hollow. They had his breath caught in his throat. "..Yet, you're becoming one of them." She closed her eyes.

He felt like he should be dancing for joy. He was one of her precious people? He blushed heavily, his heart hammering. He was sure it was going to shut down from the stop-go, stop-go, sprint it was doing.

"There may not be a meaning to life." She started again.

He finished her sentence, "But we can find one." He held his hand out to her.

She hesitated, before slowly putting her hand in his.

This time, the smile couldn't keep from his face. A small one on her own.

"Thank you.. Sasuke."

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Neji couldn't help the pain he felt ripping through his entire body.

He didn't know whether it was because he was losing his last friend, his best friend the same way he had lost one already. Or if it was some dark psychosis spreading through his body.

He closed his eyes tightly.

It seemed everybody was abandoning him these days.

An empty, broken smile placed itself on his lips.

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

_'Today I will jump off of the bridge and end my life. If she stops me.. I will stop myself.'_

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**Gah, last chapter I wrote 'Chapter 5' Instead of 6!**

**I'm a loser.**

**Ooh, you have to leave a review, Neji's fate depends on those reviews !**


	8. Chapter 8

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_"Now I know.. That I can't make you stay.  
But where's your heart?"_

_Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance._

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**Chapter Eight.**

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He watched them a little longer.

The calm laughs they shared, the gentle touches exchanged.

Desperately attempting to push that image from his mind, he squeezed his eyes closed. But even then, those scenes played on the inside  
of his eye lids. He couldn't seem to get away.

He was drowning in his jealousy. Drowning in self-hatred. Abandonment.

Why did everyone want to fucking leave him? What was so bad about him? Why? Why? WHY?

He looked down at his feet, pearl eyes slowing flooding with tears. One dripped onto his shoe.

"...Why?" He whispered.

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She couldn't really explain the feeling. It was like a sudden sharp pain in her heart. Then the twisting of a knife to deepen the wound. She gasped loudly, choking back her breath as imaginary blood flooded her throat.

She could taste it, feel the liquid in her mouth, pooling from the sides of her lips and down her face. It felt so real.

"Sakura?" Sasuke yelled, he gripped her shoulders. Since when was she laying on the ground? "Sakura, what's wrong? Tell me!"

She didn't respond, or give any indication that she was even hearing his words.

"Breathe..." He whispered, gripping her hand. "Sakura, calm down. I need you to breathe with me. You need to breathe." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Breathe. Come on, darling. Just breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Breathe, baby, breathe.

"Come on, Saku-" He stopped his pleading as her breathing returned to normal. "Thank fuck." He sighed, letting his head fall to stare at the ground.

Sakura wiped at her mouth before pulling her hand away and inspecting it for the red liquid she was so sure she would find.

But there was nothing.

"What was that about?"

Shit.

Fuck.

No way.

Oh my fucking god.

OhMyFuckingGod.

OHMYFUCKINGGOD!

She had only ever felt this once before in her entire life span.

Something bad - really, really bad - was about to happen.

"Neji.." She whispered, green eyes clouding in realization. That's why she felt like she was being watched. She snapped her head up and locked eyes with Sasuke. "I need to go," She scrambled to her feet, and mustered the best fake smile she could. "Bye!"

That was the thing about Sakura Haruno. She was so painfully beautiful... You could not see through a fake smile.

"...Bye." Sasuke muttered, his head falling to the ground.

'So fucking close. I thought we were making progress..' A sadistic part of his brain growled at him. Displeased by his obvious defeat. 'Go look for her. Make progress!' It demanded.

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He stood on the edge of the bridge, just looking down into the murky depths below him.

It had no calming effect on him, like he thought it may.

His nerves were haywire. He could swear little electrical shocks were buzzing through his body.

He was... There wasn't a word good enough for his emotions. He was beyond depressed. Past hurt.

He was just so torn.

He really held hope, that maybe - just maybe - she would have saved him.

But she wouldn't. Didn't.

'Too busy with Uchiha.' He growled in his mind.

Holding the wire of the bridge, he lightly stumbled to his feet. Wire still clutched in his left hand, steadying him as he prepared himself for his final moments.

He wanted them to be happy ones.

All the memories of himself, Shikamaru and Sakura flicked through his mind.

They were all so happy.

Lying in bed, Sakura always in the middle. She joined them together. They would each hold on to her. Neji or Shikamaru would have her back pressed against their chest holding her hands, or arms wrapped around her waist. The other would have his legs interlocked with  
hers, his head resting above Sakura's.

It was just so perfect in his memory.

A smile, a true smile, graced his lips.

He let go of the wire, turning his back to the water, spreading his arms wide apart.

He fell backwards, the wind trying to catch him, but failing, instead letting his body cut through and plummet to the depths below.

He didn't expect to feel the warmth.

Cracking an eye open, he saw pink.

"Baka!" She screamed at him, voice wavering with both sadness and the wind. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, her head pushing itself against his chest. She tried to get them into a diving position so they would maybe cut through the water and have a chance at survival.

He finally registered in his mind that she was here. Right here, her arms wrapped around him. She was falling with him. Dying with him.

No.. No! It wasn't meant to happen like this!

He was supposed to die on his own, with his memories! He wasn't supposed to drag her down with him! He didn't mean to!

Please, if there is a God, He begged silently. Save her. Please, please.. Save her.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her frame. I'm so sorry. He squeezed tightly.

Suddenly he didn't want to die.

Not this way.

She squeezed back.

In reality, the fall was only seconds, but it felt like an eternity to him.

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He dragged her seemingly lifeless body to the edge of the water, and up onto the bank.

He proceeded with CPR, wondering why the hell she had taken most of the damage from the fall.

After a few, endlessly long minutes, Sakura finally coughed up water. Neji's eyes, though still filled with worry, lightened. She was alive, and that was enough.

"Are you.." He stopped talking. He just watched her.

Her pink hair matted to her face in choppy layers, bangs covering her eyes, her mouth was closed and her lips in a thin line. She drew herself in, wrapping her arms around her knees and shook.

Neji could have sworn he saw tears drip from her face as she continued shivering, but he thought it must have just been water.

After all, she had just jumped off a fucking high bridge with him. A bridge he had intended to lose his life on.

"Sakura.." He shuffled closer to her, slowly raising his arms to wrap them around her. She flinched at the action, reflexes kicking in instantly; she shoved him away in a swift, rough push.

Neji crashed to his side, obviously not expecting the reaction he had pulled from her. He lay there, watching as she withdrew to herself once more, the shaking becoming even worse.

She looked so fucking fragile.

He couldn't help but hate himself for it.

Slowly pulling himself from the dirty ground, he inched closer to her once more.

He left his arms apart. He had to wait for her to come to him. He leaned back, his arms supporting his upper body.

Seconds passed. Seconds turned into minutes. He was worrying that she would catch hypothermia or something.

She finally threw her cold, wet body into his own frozen one. He grunted lightly as her little body hit his, throwing them both to the ground, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as a smile tilted his lips.

Despite the cold, he felt warm.

"It'll be okay." He assured her.

She lifted her head from his chest, staring at him with those haunting jade eyes. He could read them so clearly. Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't promise me a happy ending.

So he said nothing more.

He pulled her to her feet, lacing his fingers with hers and walked her home.

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Sasuke ran through the park, searching for the pink haired girl he had grown to love.

Because it just wasn't lust or like anymore.

No, he loved her. Kami-sama, he actually loved someone!

Take that, Suigetsu! And you called him gay.

Sasuke chuckled to himself.

He was so excited, he wanted to tell her. Right now. 'I love you, Sakura!'

Scream it to the world, break his usual emo facade. He wanted everyone to know that he was hers and she was his.

They would have the fairy tale people only dreamed of having. Minus the crazy witches flying backwards on broom sticks with flea-infested black cats that were blind.

He smiled, his white teeth gleaming in the moons light.

"I can't believe you'd try to leave me like that."

Sasuke froze at the voice. It was Sakura.

He hid behind the wide tree, peeking around the corner.

Neji lay against a tree trunk, one of his arms around Sakura's waist, the other dragging carefully through her hair, smoothing it out.

Sakura lay fully against him, her head on his chest and arms wound around his waist. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful.

He felt that ache in his heart, all happiness gone. Yet he couldn't tear his eyes away from the picture.

It was like a car crash. So horrible to look at, but you couldn't look away.

So he didn't. He listened to their conversation.

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Neji's hand paused through her hair for a second, the only sign that her statement had affected him.

He hummed quietly, a silent agreement of sorts. An apology. She understood.

"You're such a loser, Neji." Sakura laughed a little. Neji did too.

"I know." He agreed.

They laughed a little before it drowned out.

Sakura pulled away from Neji just a little. She looked at Neji. Into Neji. Past those pearl eyes and into his soul.

"Promise me," Her voice was so soft. "Promise me that you'll never do... Never try _that_ again.."

He knew as soon as she looked at him, he would do anything she ever wanted.

So he agreed, naturally.

"I promise."

"Pinky?"

He extended his pinky finger, and locked it with hers. Her little finger looked so tiny compared to his.

He kissed her cheek and picked the both of them up.

"Let's go home."

She beamed up at him, lacing her fingers through his with a nod.

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Sasuke felt his heart break with every step she took away from him.


	9. Chapter 9

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_._

_"Sick with myself, but I've got nothing else,  
So I give it to myself, it's the only thing that helps."_

_The Loss - Hollywood Undead._

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**Chapter Nine.**

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The classroom was beaming, full of life. Sasuke wondered why he had never really paid attention to the students before.

"Naruto, give me the glue!"

Maybe it was because they were childish.

"Hinata!" The blonde whined, clutching the glue to his chest. "I don't want to!"

She held out her hand expectantly, Naruto sighed, putting the glue bottle in her hand - but his hand stayed attached.

"Naruto... Did you glue your hand to the glue bottle?" She asked slowly.

Tch... Idiot.

"No!" Naruto quickly defended himself. Hinata sighed in relief, then Naruto continued. "I _super_ glued my hand to the bottle, now nobody can steal my glue bottle!"

Yeah... It was definitely because they were idiots.

Suigetsu burst out laughing next to Sasuke, temporarily deafening him. The raven haired youth glared at the shark like male next to him.

"Sorry, dude. But that little runt is hilarious!" And he laughed all over again.

Sasuke might have smiled - You know, if he wasn't Sasuke.

But he was Sasuke, and he would not smile.

He could not smile.

"Dude, loosen up! You act like such a prude! What are you, a virgin?"

Sasuke hit his head against the desk.

A lot.

Putting up with Suigetsu will drive you insane.

If only he actually knew Suigetsu.

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"Ino," Shikamaru started. He had to do it. It was Sakura or Ino, and Sakura was the winner.

"Shika." Ino laughed. Shikamaru cringed, he still felt that pang of guilt every time Ino called him Shika.

Maybe if he had been smarter about his moves. Not completely isolated himself from anyone but Ino. He had completely severed that relationship on his own. Sakura was the only one to voice her opinion.

So much for being a genius.

"Ino, I think we should break up."

He closed his eyes, maybe expecting a loud shriek. A slap across the face.

Something Ino-like.

But he was met with a sigh.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and was met with an understanding expression.

"Shikamaru... I knew this was going to happen, so don't worry about it." He was about to interrupt when she held up both of her hands in a silent gesture for him to wait. She smiled when he did. "I am upset, but maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Friends?" she held out her hand.

Shikamaru looked at her hand, before pushing it away. Hurt, tears welled up in Ino's eyes.

...He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, whispering a promise.

"Friends."

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Neji didn't know what was wrong with him. Why that sudden jealousy flooded through his veins. He could practically feel his white eyes bleed red when he even thought about her with the Uchiha.

But she told him she had to talk to Sasuke.

Neji hated it. Hated it with every fibre of his being.

"It is raining, you know." Neji lifted his eyes to look up at a tall women with brown hair. Strangely it was tied up in two buns, one on each side of her head. She held an umbrella over her head, offering a little shelter to him too.

He averted his eyes, ignoring the woman.

Ever the persistent one, she sat next to him on the park bench. She didn't look so tall now. If he was standing, she might come up to his eyebrows.

"Sheesh, you don't have to be so rude about it." She nudged him. Neji didn't say anything. Didn't have to. He was very good at portraying negative feelings with his eyes. Especially annoyance.

The girl could tell.

"I'm Tenten. You are?" She asked politely. When he didn't answer, she hit him with the umbrella, causing all the water drops on top of the material to come falling down on his face.

He glared at her heatedly, and she blushed in return with a sheepish smile.

He was hot when he was mad, she couldn't resist.

"Quack?" She said, but it came out as more of a question.

"Neji." He offered, and she liked his voice.

"Hmm, Neji. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand. He stared at it.

Again, she couldn't resist.

"Neji? How big is that pole up your ass?"

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"Sasuke?"

He froze at the sound of her voice, closing his eyes. He wanted her to keep talking so he could listen to her voice.

Then he remembered why his heart was in so much pain.

He glared at her as harshly as he could. "What do _you_ want?" He hissed.

Sakura glared back at him. "You know what? Fuck you. Forget it."

And she stomped away.

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She was angry. So fucking angry. What the hell did she do to him?

What? She finally opens up to him, trusts him a little, and this is what she gets?

She just wanted to forget everything right now. She didn't want to remember her life, her stupid feelings, Sasuke!

Why did she even care about him anyway?

Gah! She just wanted to smash her head against a brick wall thirteen hundred times. And then some more.

She basically stomped down the dark street. This was never the good side of town.

_It's okay,_ she thought. _I don't care._

Everyone was looking at her. Envying her. She wore nice clothes - a black mini skirt and a blue hoodie - she looked out of place.

She sped up a little bit, maybe she should have paid attention where she was walking.

_Calm down, Sakura. We don't do scared._

She held her head a little higher and pressed on.

"Hey sweetie. You look pretty nice." And then she felt a giant hand wrap around her throat. And then a cloth to her face.

If this could get anymore cliché, it would be a movie.

She was panicking, her vision blurring.

Who the fuck walks around with chloroform?

Then the world went black.

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She woke up in a dark room. Tied to something cold. A metal rail, perhaps?

"Ah, fuck." She mumbled under her breath.

"H-hello?" Someone asked her. Sakura stiffened, looking around her. She couldn't see anyone. But then again, she couldn't see a fucking thing in this darkness.

"Who's there?" The voice asked again. It sounded so scared, so vulnerable.

"Where are you?" Sakura asked, keeping her voice light. The girl was just as scared as she was.

There was a metal scraping sound as the other girl tried to move, then a mumbled 'Shit.'

"I'm near you. Are you okay?" She was concerned for the new girl. She knew the horrors of this place. She had been here for two weeks.

Sakura ignored the question, instead asking one of her own. "Where are we?"

The girl snorted lightly. "Hell." She paused, letting Sakura soak up the new knowledge. "They kidnap young women, turn them into sex slaves, sell them on."

Sakura turned rigid. This was definitely way too clichéd to be her life.

"Why are you still here then?" Sakura asked.

The girl was silent for a moment, before she whispered in a heart breaking voice,

"Because nobody wants me."

Over the next few hours, the two girls talked. Got to know each other.

The girl's name was Karin. She came from a broken home. Her mother turned into a drug addict as well as a prostitute, her father would hit her, beat her to a bloody pulp, let her heal and start the process all over again.

She wasn't even from around here, she was trying to track down her friend. She failed in her task, and deeply resented herself for acting so foolish. She had red hair and red eyes. She was 5'4 and wore black glasses.

Sakura decided that if she met Karin, in some place other than this, they would have painted the town blue together. Because painting the town red was so overrated.

Footsteps echoed down the hall way, a huge door was pulled open and lights flickered on.

The girls' eyes darted to the man. He was huge. He was tall and wide. He wore a mask over his head, so they weren't sure of his facial details or his hair color.

After a moment of analyzing, Sakura turned her attention to Karin.

Her eyes widened.

How could nobody want her? She was so fucking beautiful.

Her red mane was jaggedly cut, but suited her so well, falling beneath her shoulder blades. She was wearing her glasses and they made her red eyes seem like they were glowing.

Then she looked closer. Her clothes were practically torn. What was left of her clothes, anyway.

She wore a lilac colored shirt that looked like it had once been long sleeved top. It was cut to just under her breasts, the sleeves ripped and uneven. Her black mini skirt was dirty and torn at the edges, fraying. Her wrists were red and bruised from the rope that bound her to the wall.

Karin inspected Sakura too.

_She's so beautiful. She won't be here long. They'll sell her. An exotic beauty. Fuck, please don't take her away. She doesn't deserve this. _Karin pleaded in her mind. Sakura had informed her of her past, everything. Just as Karin had told her.

They felt a strange sort of connection.

"Karin," Sakura whispered low enough so only she could hear. The man's steps got closer. "We will get out of her. I'll get you out. I promise."

Karin felt the tears sting at her eyes. No one had ever - _ever _- promised, let alone told her, they would get her out of this Hell. Karin could only nod.

"Oh, how sweet. The little toys get along!" The man's voice was muffled by the mask. They could practically hear the sick smile in his voice. "Well, in that case..." He advanced towards them.

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	10. Chapter 10

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta: Destroyed Illusions**

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_"There's bodies lying on the floor,  
But I keep on staring…  
My world is over, close the door."_

_Suffocating Under the Words of Sorrow - Bullet For My Valentine.._

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**Chapter Ten.**

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_"Oh, how sweet. The little toys get along!" The man's voice was muffled by the mask. They could practically hear the sick smile in his voice. "Well, in that case..." He advanced towards them._

Karin cringed away from the man, closing her eyes tightly and curling into herself.

Sakura kept her eyes trained on Karin's reaction, her heart going out to the girl.

_'I swear, I will get you out of here, Karin.'_

"Hey..." The man dragged out the word longer than needed. "You're new. Never seen pink hair before." He twirled a lock around his finger.

Something in Karin snapped. She had never spoken up to one of the men before, but now... Now she felt the need to protect Sakura.

"Get the _fuck_ away from her!" She screamed, thrashing against the wall. She had to do something to draw his attention away from Sakura.

_'Karin...' _Sakura thought sadly. The man hissed at Karin.

"What did you say, whore?" She could feel his glare piercing through her. She flinched back, hitting her head against the wall, knocking her glasses from her face.

The sound of a crunch filled the air. "Oops, looks like your pretty glasses broke. So sorry." The sarcasm was dripping from his voice.

He turned back to Sakura, pulling a piece of black material from his pocket.

Blindfold.

He tied it around her head, hissing for her to keep still before dragging a blade along her arm long enough to make her freeze. "Good girl."

Sakura only growled in response, more shuffling was heard and the man spoke again. His voice wasn't muffled anymore.

Harshly yanking Sakura's hair, he brought it up to his face, inhaling deeply. The pinkette whimpered, partly afraid of what was going to happen to her. Mostly because she was disgusted.

"Even prettier than the last one..." He kissed her cheek and Sakura tried to pull her face away, but he gripped it with both of his hands forcefully.

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Sasuke lay in his room. In his and Itachi's apartment.

They didn't live in the mansion now.

"Sasuke?" Itachi called.

"Hn." It was hardly a reply, but it was more than Itachi had gotten in a while.

"I'm going out for a bit." He walked into the dark room, looking at his younger brother.

Sasuke looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Deep bags colored under his eyes, though the rest of his skin was lily-white. His hair still stood in it's gravity-defying style, but it wasn't shining. In fact, it was kind of oily. He needed to shower.

"Whatever." Sasuke glared, turning up the music louder.

Itachi sighed, shaking his head before leaving the apartment.

He remembered to lock the door as he left.

The guilty feeling in Sasuke's chest still didn't leave.

'What is wrong with me? Why did I say that?' He wanted to die.

Something had to be wrong. That feeling should have left by now, yet it didn't.

"I swear, I would take back those words if I could." He whispered to the music.

It only screamed back at him,

_"Don't turn your back on me! I won't be ignored!"_

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Suigetsu stared at the picture he held in his hands.

Two people stood in a happy embrace. The short red-headed girl had her arms wrapped around the waist of a boy with silver hair. She looked like an angel, even with her red eyes. He always thought they made her even more beautiful.

The boy had his arms around her shoulders, due to the height difference. He was pulling her to him as close as humanly possible, grinning happily, showing his razor sharp teeth.

_Suigetsu refused to smiled. If he showed his teeth, he'd be teased mercilessly. First grade was so cruel._

_"Hey, why are you upset?" Suigetsu didn't even look up. He knew she wasn't talking to him. Nobody talked to him. "Hey? Hello?"_

_He finally looked up, his heart stopped. He was talking to an angel._

_A red-eyed angel._

_He smiled, but quickly covered it with his hand, looking away at the ground. She would probabl scream and run away now._

_Small, soft hands wrapped around his, gently pulling his hand away._

_"You don't like your teeth?" She asked. He shook his head, too shy to speak. He didn't want to show his teeth again. He felt embarrassed enough already._

_"Awh, come on! Don't be like that! I have red eyes, but I'm not 'shamed of them." she said, pointing to her eyes for emphasis._

_"Yeah, but you have pretty eyes," He blurted, before his eyes widened and he slapped his hands over his mouth once more._

_Once again, she gently pulled his hand away. Her eyes shining with something. "Your teeth are so awesome! Let me see them!" She pried his lips apart._

_"H-hey! Stop that!"_

_"Woah..." She touched his teeth. Suigetsu only looked at the ground._

_Then a sharp pain came across his cheek. Tears welled in his eyes. _

_She had slapped him._

_He stood, turning to leave, but she grabbed his hand. "I didnt slap you 'cause of your teeth, dummy. I slapped you for hiding 'em! Grow up __already, I'm offering a friendship here!" She tapped her foot impatiently._

_Oh, what had Suigetsu gotten himself into?_

_Still, he couldn't help but smile. After all, he had a reason too now._

_"I'm Karin."_

_"Suigetsu."_

_Karin became his smile._

_._

Suigetsu sighed, pulling out of the memory.

"I miss you..."

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"Hey - Hey - Hey! Leave the newbie alone! Boss said not to touch her yet!"

Sakura almost sighed in relief. Whereas the man groaned, pulling away from her.

"You marked her? Fuck, boss is gonna flip!" The man who had just entered yelled, looking at the multi-colored bruise shapes on her throat and collar bone. "Oh well, not my problem. You realise he's gonna kill you."

"Shut up."

And then they were gone.

"Saku-" Karin choked back. For the past half an hour, she had to listen to Sakura's quiet whimpering and the man's enthusiastic moans. "Sakura?"

Sakura inhaled deeply, before exhaling again. One of them had to be strong. Even though Karin was older, Sakura was _'the newbie'_, she had no reason to be as afraid as Karin, right?

"Yeah, Kari?" She asked quietly.

Karin felt a smile cross her face, and she felt a little peace in her heart.

"I'm sorry for all of this."

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"He cut you."

Sakura froze. "How did you know that? I thought he broke your glasses." Damn it, don't think about the arm! It'll start to hurt.

"I don't need glasses. I can see perfectly fine. The lenses are just plastic. I wore glasses when I was younger. I liked 'em." Karin explained. "They just didn't need to know that."

Sakura sighed. "Anymore secrets, Kari?" She asked amused.

Karin laughed lightly, a little forced. "Yeah, I think if you move this way a bit, I can untie that blindfold with my feet."

"Who said I wanted your smelly feet in my hair?"

"Just shut up, Saku."

At least there was a distraction from this Hell.

Sakura pulled herself over to Karin's direction. Karin, on the other hand, pushed herself further to Sakura, stretching out with her legs as far as she could.

"Just a little more..." She stretched with everything she had. "Gotta believe I can do it... I can do this." She hooked her toe under the  
material.

"Gotcha!" She cheered quietly, flicking the material over the girl's pink hair.

In the process, Sakura's hair flipped into her eyes. She shook her head, trying to push it all back into place.

"Nice hair, Pinky."

"I want to bite you."

Karin wiggled her toes in Sakura's direction. Sakura just smirked.

It was so surreal. Like they weren't captives in some dark, dingy place with a mystery location.

Maybe it was what was keeping them going. Karin had regained her sanity the second Sakura was dragged into the room. It was some instinct that just kicked in, and she obviously wasn't the only one to feel it.

"Kari," It was barely a whisper as she was falling into the darkness. "I keep my promises."

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It had been three days.

Sakura hadn't come to school. The uneasiness Sasuke felt had doubled. Tripled. Quadrupled.

Neji came to school each day, in hopes of Sakura miraculously appearing. But she hadn't.

Shikamaru had talked to Neji, and the two of them had searched high and low for any trace of Sakura, yet they could find none.

"You don't think..." Shikamaru started, but Neji interrupted him quickly.

"No. No! She wouldn't do that. Never." He held his head, closing his eyes from the unwanted thoughts.

_"Sakura.." He shuffled closer to her, slowly raising his arms to wrap them around her. She flinched at the action, reflexes kicking in instantly; she shoved him away in a swift, rough push._

_Neji crashed to his side, obviously not expecting the reaction he had pulled from her. He lay there, watching as she withdrew to herself __once more, the shaking becoming even worse._

_She looked so fucking fragile._

_He couldn't help but hate himself for it._

_Slowly pulling himself from the dirty ground, he inched closer to her once more._

_He left his arms apart. He had to wait for her to come to him. He leaned back, his arms supporting his upper body._

_Seconds passed. Seconds turned into minutes. He was worrying that she would catch hypothermia or something._

_She finally threw her cold, wet body into his own frozen one. He grunted lightly as her little body hit his, throwing them both to the ground, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as a smile tilted his lips._

_Despite the cold, he felt warm._

_._

_Neji laid against a tree trunk, one of his arms around Sakura's waist, the other dragging carefully through her hair, smoothing it out._

_Sakura lay fully against him, her head on his chest and arms wound around his waist. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful._

_"I would never leave you like that. Why would you want to leave me like that?" She asked him quietly._

_He had no answer. No lies. _

_She hugged him tighter. "I don't want you to ever leave."_

_He kissed the side of her head. "I won't leave you."_

_"You already tried."_

_._

_"Neji! You are impossible!" A pink-haired girl chased the long-haired boy around her apartment. "Get back here!"_

_Neji chuckled lightly, but kept running. Damn small girl. Small body mass - faster runner._

_She jumped on the sofa, tackling him to the ground. _

Neji shook his head, turning to Shikamaru. He regained his composure, looking at his friend with confidence. Pearl eyes shining with determination.

"No, she would definitely never leave us like that."

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	11. Chapter 11

Ha, Fanfiction!

I got around your stupid break down! Thanks so much to SasuSaku forever and ever.

Seriously, you're awesome hun!

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta ever: Destroyed Illusions**

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_"When you shoot, it's so damn risky. Dead in a ditch, but I hope you miss me."_

_Dead In a Ditch - Hollywood Undead._

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**Chapter Eleven.**

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She felt light-headed.

If she moved too quickly, the room spun. Even the darkness seemed to spin in circles and crowd her thoughts.

How long had it been now?

A day? Two days? Three? A week?

Maybe it was a week.

It felt like forever.

She shook her head slowly. The cynical thought creeping into her mind; _At least you're keeping to your diet_.

True, but that was one of the last things she was worried about now. All that mattered was Karin. She had to get Karin out of here, and to safety.

Even if Sakura herself died in the process. Karin **_would_** get out of here.

They had untied the girls now, thinking them too weak to even think of an escape, let alone make one.

Sakura had her back against the wall, Karin's head lay in her lap. The rosette untangled the older girl's red hair gently, careful not to stir her from her sleep. She wasn't having a nightmare for once. A miracle, really.

Sakura gritted her teeth together, a plan finally formulating in her head.

The next time those disgusting _things_ - they could not be called humans - walked through those doors, she would swipe the keys.

The door creaked open slowly, light pouring into the dull room.

And it begins...

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Neji moved through the streets, a picture of Sakura and himself in his hands. He asked everyone he saw the same question,

"Have you seen this girl?"

"No, sir."

Then he'd move on to the next.

"Have you seen this girl?"

"I'm sorry."

"Have you seen this girl?"

"My, she's pretty. Unfortunately -"

He didn't bother listening. Unless they had seen her, he didn't care.

"Have you seen this girl?"

"Yes, she's our friend. We are looking for her. Do you even know who you're asking, Neji?"

"Shut up, Shikamaru. I was talking to the man behind you."

"Oh - Me? No, I'm afraid I have not seen her."

Neji grit his teeth together, sending an unpleasant surge through them. But he didn't care.

"Have you seen -"

"Neji, stop it. Let's go ask in another part of town."

He could not protest. All he wanted to do was track down the girl that held all of his little broken shards together. Still, he couldn't help the small spark of hope from fading even more.

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"Hey, hey! Are you listening to me? I said HEY!" A girl shouted, waving at the tall man. "Neji!" She yelled, earning his attention. Finally.

Neji turned, telling Shikamaru to walk on ahead and keep asking people that same dreaded question.

"Tenten, right?" The girl - Tenten - nodded with a smile.

"That's right. Anyway -" She was interrupted. Rudely.

"Have you seen this girl?" He thrust the picture in her face.

Maybe it was because he'd been asking the same question for hours on end now, but he was desperate. Asking complete strangers where his best friend was - when he should know, because after all they _are_ best friends - was proof enough.

Tenten's eyes widened, a little hurt shining behind the brown orbs.

The pink-haired girl in the picture, she was so small, so skinny, stood in front of Neji, pushing her hands together and connecting the thumbs to make a heart, a huge smile on her face as she looked at the camera. Neji had his arms around her waist, bending down so he could rest his head on top of hers. A small, very small, smile playing on his lips.

"This is your girlfriend?" Her voice was hurt. Neji was normally a perceptive person, but his mind was so clouded. He didn't even hear the question.

"Have you seen her?" He asked again, desperation in his eyes.

Tenten's heart went out to him. She actually wanted to say, _'Yes. Yes, I have.'_ and tell him where she was, just to see a smile on his face. She wanted to make him smile like the pink-haired girl in that picture seemed to be able to do so easily.

But she didn't. Because she was a very truthful, honest person. She had never told a lie in her life.

Because honesty is the best policy, right?

And she knew how much that girl meant to him.

"No," She shook her head, looking at the ground. "But I can help you look for her."

Neji nodded greatfully with a sigh.

"So, who is she?"

"The most important person in the world."

"...Oh."

Perhaps if he had keener hearing, he could hear the sound of her heart breaking.

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"Have you seen this girl?"

"No."

"Excuse me, Sir! Have you seen this girl?"

"Leave me alone, you street-rat!"

"Please tell me you've seen this girl recently..."

"Get away from me, scum!"

"How fucking troublesome. I am not scum."

"I said get away!"

"Fine, fine. Whatever. Sheesh, Old Geezer. Excuse me, have you seen this girl?"

"Hmm? Oh yes! I have indeed. She was walking around here alone a few nights ago. Not a very bright thing to do. Then her lovely boyfriend carried her home. Such a nice young lad."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Boyfriend?

"Did you happen to see his features? Get a number plate of his car?"

"Erm... I didn't see a car, no. Sorry, my boy. But I did however see the man. Quite a tall young man. Odd hair though. It was dark purple."

"Tekuchi's..." Shikamaru growled. They were the only family in Konoha who had purple hair. Mr Tekuchi had two children. One girl, who was now 23, was Ami. Her younger brother, Reita, was 20.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"My pleasure, young man. Have a good day."

Finally, some hope.

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Her plan was working.

The man had come to take Sakura away, by now she was used to it.

He informed her of how many people wanted to buy her - she was the best yet. They were holding an auction at this very moment.

It sickened her how those _things_ viewed people. Like objects. A trophy on the shelf.

It started talking again, "- and to get you cleaned up. So here's the shower. Clothes. Whatever." He was the only one that had no interest in her.

At least, no sexual interest. Maybe this one was different.

"Why?" Sakura asked, her voice raspy. The only time she used it was when she sang lightly to help calm Karin and herself.

He stopped, turning to look at her. This one wore no mask. His black hair falling over equally dark eyes. "I already saw you take the keys. Your friend is waiting in the closet. I told her to hide there. I will stand guard, as soon as you're done..." He smiled a little. Not one of those sick, sadistic smiles, a small, albeit fake, smile. But it reassured her. "I will get you out of here. Both of you."

"Why?" She asked again. She wanted to believe this one was different. But believe had the word 'lie' in it. There was always the potential this could go South. She hoped like fuck that it wouldn't.

He smiled again, though this, this one a little less fake.

"Because I know how you feel, Sakura."

"Thank you..."

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"Neji! I've got a lead."

The pearl eyed boy was in front of Shikamaru in record timing.

"What?" He demanded.

"Tekuchi Reita."

Neji glared.

"Fucking bastard. I'm gonna fucking tear his limbs apart, slash his fucking throat and have a parade in his tainted blood -" Shikamaru decided to intervene.

"He did say he'd get us back one day."

"All she did was reject him!" Neji defended.

"She fucked him, Hyuuga." Shikamaru almost yelled, but one of them had to be in control. Neji glared down at the ground. He never knew this.

"When?" He finally asked, after moments of silence.

"She didn't want me to tell you -"

"When?" Neji cut off Shikamaru, his eyes closed tightly and his fists balled at his sides.

A sigh. "Last year, at Ayame's graduation party. She wasn't going to tell you because she knew you hated the guy. Heh, I guess it didn't help she was high as a fucking kite and drugged out of her mind. Reita always had a thing for her."

"So he fucking drugged her up to get a fuck?" He was shaking now. Why the fuck had he been lied to for so long? How many other lies were there that he didn't know about? "How did she remember this, anyway? If she was so 'drugged'?"

"Woke up next to him in a bed with no clothes. Haven't we all done it before?" He asked with a subtle glance at the taller boy.

"Shut it, Nara."

"Just saying-"

"Well, nobody asked you, did they?"

"Hey, Neji! I asked everyone, but nobody even knew her!" Tenten threw her hands in the air. She looked between the two boys, noticing the tension thick enough to kill.

"Thank you, but we've found her." Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets, before turning around and looking over his shoulder at Neji. "Are you going to help me find her or not?"

Should he really help? She had lied to him. Kept secrets from him. Hurt him. But he had hurt her, too. He remembered his suicide attempt. She stayed with him. Then why, after proving time and time again how close they were, would she hide this from him?

Even so, he barely even thought before the word passed through his lips, and his feet were striding forward.

"Yes."

"Shouldn't we be telling the Uchiha about this? She was getting pretty cosy with him, wasn't she?"

Neji glared harder at nothing in particular.

"No, she needs _us_. She doesn't need _him_."

Shikamaru spared a side glance, just before Neji quickened his pace, over taking the other boy. He sighed.

He wasn't stupid. Neji just needed to calm down. He would eventually.


	12. Chapter 12

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**Author: xWrittenInBlood**

**The most amazing Beta ever: Destroyed Illusions**

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_"I wanna love you. But something's pulling me away from you."_

_Judas - Lady Gaga._

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**Chapter Twelve.**

**I Dare You To Move.**

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He could understand her avoiding him. Hell, he would be avoiding himself if he could.

Actually, I think his shadow just ran away... No, it's still there. But when the lights are off and it disappears, it must be happy. He concludes this in his mind.

"Sasuke?" Itachi calls again. But Sasuke does not answer.

Itachi is used to his mood swings by now.

Sasuke has changed.

Itachi wishes there was a delete button on his life. Or at least a Backspace.

Because it's not just Sasuke who's hurting.

But Sasuke will not open his eyes.

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"Karin?" Sakura whispered. Reaching for the older girl's hand, she firmly grasped the fragile limb in her own and pulled forward gently. "We have to keep going. There's a hospital just up ahead. Right, Sai?"

The emotionless boy paused, before giving a stiff nod.

"Yes. The hospital is located one mile North of us." He pointed past a few large buildings.

Sakura smiled greatfully. She still didn't know why he decided to help them, but he had.

Karin was shaking, but Sakura was determined to hold her friend together. "Just a little longer. Look, Kari, I promised you. We're out. I kept my promise."

Karin cried. The tears wouldn't stop. She sobbed loudly, clinging to Sakura as Sai awkwardly stared at the situation with confusion clear in his obsidian eyes.

He thought when you embraced someone, you were happy to see them. Or it was a sign of affection. And when someone cried, that was a sign of sadness.

But the girl with the glasses was crying and hugging Sakura. How could she feel two emotions at once, when Sai could not feel one at all? He shook his head. He was a trained member of ROOT. Never seen, but silently holding the large trunk of a secret gang.

Such emotions were useless.

"We should continue."

Someone, show the boy some light. Please.

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They never knew it was too late. Some people were never meant to shine.

Sai was one of those unfortunate people who never even saw the sun.

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"Neji. I know you don't remember me. I know you may not even like me. But I love you. I've loved you since we were little. Since pre-school. I loved you then, and I love you still. I just love you, Neji Hyuuga! Why won't you remember me?"

Damn it! Tenten even lost her temper staring at her reflection.

She inhaled a deep breath. She just needed to tell Neji - The real Neji, not just a mirror - exactly what she had just said.

That she loved him.

Still loved him.

Loves.

Love.

Love_love**love**_. Love. Love!_** LOVE!**_

"Oh. My. Gosh. I am such a fool!" She slammed her face into her cupped hands, trying to hide her embarrassment even though no one was around her.

"Why would he remember me? We only finger-painted together like 23 times!" She threw her hands in the air.

Oh shit - She forgot to exhale.

_Sigh._

_In_. **Out**. _In_. **Out**.

(Keep breathing, baby. That's my girl.)

Get a grip, Tenten.

She sharply looked at her reflection.

Then she laughed.

She felt so far away from Neji, but so close at the same time.

He was just slipping away from her. It was like grabbing a handful of sand and fisting it.

Just like before.

She shook her head.

"Not again. Not anymore. Mom's dead, she has no job to move for. There is no excuse. I can do this."

She looked in the mirror again. The image of Neji's perfect face filled her mind.

"Neji, I love you."

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Neji's ears burned, and he sneezed.

"Someone thinking about you, Hyuuga?" Shikamaru teased.

"Shut up."

He could only hope someone was actually thinking about him.

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"This is as far as I go." Sai came to such an abrupt halt that Sakura slammed into his back, causing Karin to walk into Sakura's side.

"What? What do you mean this is _'as far as I go'_"? Sakura hissed, somewhat hurt, somewhat confused.

"I have repaid my debt to you. I have successfully retrieved you from your prison and escorted you to the hospital. I will be taking my leave now." He turned sharply on his right heel. There was a very odd tingling in his chest. It was almost a twisting, with a cold flow passing over his body slowly.

"That would be guilt, Sai." Sakura informed the boy. She noted he was acting strange, and cltching his chest just proved her correct in that hypothesis. "But it doesn't matter. I'm grateful all the same." She bowed low, shocking the boy in his place. "Thank you, for helping us."

She wouldn't be thanking him if she knew he had aided in her kidnapping. The 'guilt' intensified in his chest.

Squaring his shoulders, he made sure his face remained empty. "You are welcome, Sakura-chan." He turned his head to the side and offered a forced smile. "I wish you luck in your future."

As he turned again, this time more forcefully, with purpose, he was again shocked to his place. Small arms wrapped around his thin figure, a head pressed against his back. "One day, it won't be so bad. You'll see, Sai. One day you'll be happy."

The tips of his mouth twitched up the smallest fraction without his consent. Slowly reaching to touch his mouth, he regained his composure yet again.

"I will not be returning to the organization. The original Tekuchi members have all but been killed by Reita and his thugs." Reita? But wasn't he - "Reita was not even born a Tekuchi. He was adopted at the age of six. I realize that you can use this information against me to seize Reita, but I do not mind. I am willing to take my punishment as you see fit. I will not run." He was determined now.

"Sai-" This time Karin spoke. But Sai held his hand up in a silent gesture.

"Please, Karin-san. I know you wish to have your vengence against us. I agree with your opinion." There was that fake smile again, resting on his ghostly pale lips.

Nobody dared to move.

"I see..." His black eyes downcast. "Well, I will be leaving now. Again, I deeply apologise." He mimicked Sakura's bow before fading into the darkness.

Karin and Sakura did not know. But Sai did. He heard the shuffling in the shadows.

"I have done the right thing." He told himself. This time a true smile upon himself. He had never felt the arms of another around him. He would be eternally grateful to Sakura for giving him this feeling.

He squared his shoulders and closed his eyes, the smile still there. It felt so good.

"I have done the right thing." He repeated his last words before a knife pierced his throat.

.

.

.

She missed him terribly.

Why did she have to keep thinking of him?

_Sasuke, where are you?_

.

.

.

"I just don't understand your brother, yeah." Deidara's voice was the only noise throughout the cold room.

"He's a spoiled brat, Deidara. What more should we expect from him?" Sasori asked with sarcasm dripping from his stony voice.

"Sometimes I think you're too much like your puppets. It's _unhealthy_, yeah."

"Shut the fuck up, you snivelling bitches." Hidan growled. "Why don't you just let me sacrifice him to Jashin-sama?"

This was not helping Itachi at all. But then again, he wasn't exactly one to spill his feelings. He had only told the Akatsuki that Sasuke had been rather moody.

The room felt colder for a second, and the music that was blaring from Sasuke's room came to an abrupt halt.

Then there was a loud thump.

And then,

Nothing.

* * *

**AN. Ohmigod! I am so sorry for not updating! You can kill me, ferserious.**

**Like wow, this was so hard to ride though.**

**I've just started working at the salon, and I really want to get an apprenticeship. And I'm trying to balance out work with high school, and I'm also taking classes at a college not too far from me.**

**So remember, when you leave a really mean review, I may be doing your hair one day! I could cut it all off. Or leave the bleach in too long.**

**Choose your words wisely, loves. (:**

**But really, thank you for sticking with me through this.**


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